I GREW some foxgloves from seed this year and they were really good. When the flowers had gone they produced seeds, some of which fell onto the border but I collected some for sowing next spring. My question is will the original plants return next year or should I rely on sowing the seed I collected?
L HARRIS

REG SAYS: Generally speaking foxgloves (Digitalis) are either strict biennials or relatively shortlived perennials and even the perennial ones usually carry their best floral display in the first couple of flowering seasons.

It’s not just a case of the seed you have collected though, is it?

You still have all those self-sown seeds in the bank, or should that be the bed.

These are very likely to come up like mad giving you an embarrassment of riches to sort out, as they are going to need to have a good allocation of space each in order to do well.

Of course you could always carefully lift surplus plants from clumps and transplant them elsewhere in the border or even into pots to grow on while you find a permanent home for them.

Here’s an interesting tip: when selecting seedlings have a look at the leaf stalks and if they are purple tinted then that plant is more likely to carry a darker coloured flower.

It is also worth remembering that foxgloves come from a woodland habitat so they enjoy moist soil and slightly shaded positions.

You should sow your seeds in late spring, but remember to wash your hands well after handling them as all parts of this plant are poisonous. They should germinate readily in just about any good compost without much heat. Bear in mind not to cover the seeds too deeply as they require light to germinate.

A good solution here is to cover the seeds with vermiculite as this maintains moisture and temperature levels as well as allowing light to pass through so that germination is stimulated.

Oh, I just had a thought; maybe the variety you sowed were the reasonably new Digitalis Camelot series from Thompson & Morgan seeds, which are a slightly different kettle of fish.

As they are F1 hybrids they are beautifully coloured and flower brilliantly over the first two years, but any seed that you may collect from them will not perform anything like as well.

This is because all F1 seed can only be produced by crossing the same true breeding parent lines every year in order to maintain all their attributes, which is why they are more expensive.

● Do you have a question for Reg?

Write to Reg Moule Gardeners’ Questions, Editorial, Worcester News, Hylton Road, Worcester WR2 5JX. No correspondence can be entered into. Reg Moule answers your questions courtesy of David’s Nurseries, Martin Hussingtree.